40 Things You Must Know Before Traveling To Cuba (Especially If You’re American)

Cuba has always been a bucket-list country for many travelers, but since the recent reestablishment of diplomatic conversations between the U.S. and Cuba, the country rose to the spotlight to become a prime destination for American travelers. In the last year alone, tourism in Cuba boomed exponentially. Not only more travelers from around the world are visiting it, but now Americans added themselves to the tourism mix, even when they are still not quite in the “I can visit Cuba green zone.”

Last month (August 2015) I had the opportunity to visit Cuba for the first time, and I had a great time there, as I already shared here and here. But, traveling to Cuba can be a bit of a hassle. Here I’ll share all the tips I believe you should know before heading there – especially if you’re American.

NOTE: These tips are current as of September 2015. Cuba is changing rapidly, so it is possible some things might be outdated soon.

Getting There and Some Planning

1. Most People Need A Visa

Travelers from 19 countries (see the list here) can travel to Cuba without a visa. Travelers from the rest of the world can purchase a “Tourist Card” at the airport before checking into their flight. Americans, it’s a bit more complicated. To this date, only Americans traveling under these 12 visa categories are allowed to travel to Cuba, including family visits, official visits, journalistic, professional, educational and religious activities, and public performances. These visas can be obtained via a tour company or the Cuban Embassy in Washington DC. Regular tourism is still forbidden. But, don’t worry, there’s still a way to travel there as a regular tourist, and hopefully in the future it will be much easier as diplomatic talks lift most of the current restrictions.

2. Cuba WILL welcome you even if you’re an American without an “Approved Visa” from the U.S.

While the U.S. still has issues allowing everyone to travel to Cuba freely, Cuba, on the other hand does welcome everyone to their country, as long as they have a valid “Tourist Card” (more on that on #4)

3. There are direct flights from the US, but…

Anyone not from the U.S. can simply fly from their country. Easy. Americans with a visa can fly from one of the 10 (current) cities with direct flights to Cuba via a Special Authority Charter.

4. The Stopover Technique is the way to go, for regular American tourists.

Anyone from the U.S. wanting to visit as a regular tourist can do so by flying to a stopover country (like Mexico) and then flying from Mexico to Cuba. This “trampoline” technique has been used for decades by “rogue” American travelers. Mexico, Panama, Dominican Republic and the Bahamas are among the most popular stopover countries – though Mexico is almost always the cheapest.

An important detail here is that you must pass through immigration in this stopover country to be able to buy your “Cuban Tourist Card” during your flight check-in process there. At the moment, the tourist card costs $20.

Another important detail would be to buy your flights as two different round trips. For example, Denver to Cancun as one roundtrip, and Cancun to Havana as a separate roundtrip.

To help on your flight search via a stopover country, check this Wikipedia page that lists all the airlines that currently fly to Cuba and from which airports.

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5. You can enter with a US passport

The American passport presents no issue when entering Cuba, even without one of the 12 visas. Like I said, Cuba has no problem with American. Just buy your Tourist Card at your stopover country and once at Cuban immigration, they will only stamp your Tourist Card, not your passport. For non-visa holders, this will avoid some potential problem when returning to the US. I didn’t have any.

6. Most search engines don’t show flights to Cuba.

Expedia, Orbitz, and other search engines don’t show flights to Cuba. Period. At the time of writing, only skyscanner.com does show flights from the U.S. that can be purchased online. It even shows flights departing from the U.S., but only buy them if you have a visa – otherwise you will be denied boarding.

You can, though, buy you flights from Cancun to Havana (for example) and have no problem boarding it with just the Tourist Card.

7. Best time to go there

Mid November to March is the coolest, driest, and busiest season. May and June are the wet seasons, but Cuban highlights like the tobacco harvesting and carnival happen at this time. July to November is hurricane season, so there’s a chance to stormy weather between these months – especially more towards late August to early October when it’s the peak of the hurricane season.

8. Buy a tour or not?

If you want to take the easy, yet more expensive road, buy your tours before arriving in Cuba. Traveling Cuba is a hassle, but not impossibly hard if you’re open to dealing with the struggles. In this case, don’t buy your tours and wait until you get to Cuba. There, local agencies often offer tours and hotels for a fraction of the price (or the “national rates”). This is how I managed to stay in the Melia Cayo Coco for about 1/3 of what it costs online. But, prepare to have a hard time finding tour shops in some cities. Also, your host can always recommend doing some tours, which often are run by locals, and not tour companies – adding to the local experience.

9. Print out your documents before leaving

Technology is not easily found in Cuba and while there I didn’t see a single internet café. Print and take any travel documents, reservations, insurance, or other information you need before leaving.

10. You need travel insurance

It is required to have travel insurance to enter Cuba. They may or may not ask for proof at the airport, and should you not have any, they could deny your entry. I wasn’t asked, nor other people I’ve asked or read about their entry to Cuba. But, you never know, so better go safe and buy travel insurance.

Ok, we are finally in Cuba! Now what?!

Money

11. Americans can’t use debit or credit cards

And this sucks. As of September 2015, the Cuban Sanctions imposed by the U.S. does not allow any American to withdraw money or pay with a debit or credit card while in Cuba. In fact, I got my bank account frozen just for signing up to my mobile banking while in Cuba. My bank didn’t even want to unfreeze it until after I left the country and showed proof of it via a copy of my boarding pass. This restriction is supposed to be lifted soon as relationships improve, so I recommend checking for the latest updates regarding the sanctions on this page.

Other nationalities can use credit cards, where accepted.

12. Tell your bank you’re going to Cuba

While this is highly recommended every time you travel outside your country, when going to Cuba is is quite important (no matter which nationality). You will want to make sure your debit/credit card will work there.

13. It’s all about taking lots of cash

Cuba is still mostly a cash economy, so even if you’re not American, you should take enough money with you to last most of your trip. Americans, of course, have to take all their money cash.

Some companies are starting to accept credit cards and ATMs do allow withdrawals with non-American cards.

14. Don’t take U.S. Dollars to exchange

Currency exchanges places are known as CADECAs. It is possible to exchange U.S. Dollars, Euros, British Pounds, Mexican Pesos, and a few other currencies, but the worst currency to exchange there is the U.S. Dollar. It gets charged a 10% fee in addition to the current exchange rate while all the other currencies don’t get any additional fee.

Preferably, get Euros or British Pounds from the U.S., as these get the best exchange rates since they are more liquid. Or, withdraw money from an ATM at your stopover country in their local currency (preferably Mexico), to then exchange that in Cuba for Convertible Cuban Pesos.

15. Cuba has two currencies

This will be confusing at first, but you’ll get used to it quickly. There are two currencies in Cuba: The National Peso (CUP), and the Convertible Peso (CUC). Funny enough, Convertible Pesos are valued at 1 to 1 with the U.S. Dollar, while the National Peso stands at about 26 pesos per dollar.

The money you should exchange for is the CUC, Convertible Peso, as this is the currency used for almost everything there (especially among tourists). I don’t recommend exchanging for CUP since you’re probably not going to use it at all. The CUP is only used for local transportation, to buy fruits and vegetables on the street, and some restaurants that cater more to locals. Should you need to use the public bus, for example, you can pay in CUC and get the change in CUP.

16. Always confirm which is the demanded currency

Whether it is CUC or CUP, Cubans simply call it “pesos”. So, when someone says this is “2 pesos,” you should make sure which one he is referring to as the amount is substantially different. You can ask, “is this in CUC or Moneda Nacional?” Or, if the price seems to be really high, them most probably it is in CUP.

Accommodation

17. The most common form of accommodation is known as Casa Particular

There are several hotels in Cuba, but the most common form of accommodation are the Casas Particulares. These are rooms or apartments rented by locals for a daily fee. Sometimes, you might rent an apartment for yourself while in other cases you might rent a room in a family’s house and share the common spaces with them. Many families have turned their houses into Casas Particulares with several rooms to make a living in Cuba. If you can, stay in a Casa Particular for the local experience and to help the family’s local business. The base price per night in a Casa Particular is $25+, which is a fraction of what you’ll pay at a hotel.

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18. Couchsurfing is “illegal”

While the site is not illegal itself, the act of staying at someone’s place for free is illegal in Cuba. Under Cuban law, every foreigner must pay for accommodation unless they are friends with a local. In this case, the local must go to the appropriate agency with email exchanges, pictures, and other communications proving you know each-other. The authorities may or may not approve it.

19. Bookings are mostly through word of mouth

Given that the internet is still not widely accessible there, most hotels and casas particulares don’t have internet, nor a website. Most bookings are done through the phone and recommendations from other locals. For example, I “couchsurfed” in Havana and my host from Havana recommended (and booked by phone) the other casas particulares where I stayed in Trinidad and Viñales.

Many Casas Particulares are using Airbnb to promote themselves without the need of a website. You should consider this option (and with this link you get $25 off your first booking). Or, couchsurfing is another good option (though unlike the rest of the world, you still have to pay).

It is recommended to have at least the first night booked before arriving in Cuba. The rest you can book or extend as you go.

Eating

20. Food in Cuba is nothing to brag about

Due to its trade restrictions, Cuba lacks in its culinary delights; so don’t expect delicious meals. Yes, you can find good food here and there, but this is not the norm.

21. Don’t drink the water

Simple and easy. Buy bottled water. Otherwise, your tummy and booty will not be happy about it.

22. Try eating only at Paladares Particulares.

Cuba has two types of restaurants, the state-run restaurants and the privately run ones known as paladares particulares. Try eating at the paladares particulares since they cost about the same as the state-run ones, but usually have better quality. As locals say, state-run restaurants don’t care about the food quality since, in the end, they don’t need the profits (because they are supported by the government). The private ones, on the other hand, if they are not good, they go bankrupt.

How to know which is state-run and which is private? Either ask them before ordering or just pay attention to where locals are eating and queuing. Cubans (who can afford to eat outside) don’t like the state-run restaurants, so they prefer to queue at a paladar particular.

23. Don’t eat from the really cheap local restaurants

I usually eat street food, from very cheap places, but Cuba was an exception. It is common to see places selling pizza and ice cream or other meals for a fraction of what they should cost and charged in CUP (like 10 CUP or $0.50 and much less). These foods, while cheap, are considered “garbage” by locals since they are done with local products of the lowest quality possible.

24. Take your favorite snacks with you

Not surprisingly, markets there don’t offer much variety since they focus on selling items of first need to locals – which don’t include sweets and snacks. You may find a few snacks here and there, but those are rare, and there will not be a lot of varieties.

Transportation

25. Cuba is relatively well connected by bus

You will be able to visit all major cities and travel all around the country by bus. While there are a few bus companies there, as far as I know, only Viazul is the one that takes tourists traveling independently.

26. Go to the bus station at least an hour before departure

While Viazul has a site with a current service schedule, it is not possible to book tickets online. You must go to the bus station ahead of time and queue for a ticket. Since buses are not that frequent, they tend to sell out quick. But, there’s an option…

27. Shared taxis are also a good option

Taxi drivers stand in front of the bus station to pick the excess of passengers without tickets. They offer a shared taxi ride to some of the most popular and well-connected cities in Cuba for about the same price of the bus and faster. If you’re going to a smaller town not covered by the shared taxi, you can take the shared taxi to the closest city possible, and from there take a local shared taxi called “Almendrones.”

Should they price the shared taxi ride much higher than the bus, then, you’ll need to haggle. Oh, and don’t be surprised if the local sharing your ride paid a fraction of what you paid. That’s Cuba. Foreigners almost always have to pay more than locals.

28. The local busses in Havana are fine, and so are the taxis.

Local buses cost 1 CUP (about $0.04 – which you can pay in CUP or give 5 cents of a CUC). It is hard to understand the routes, but your host could tell you which one’s you should take to go to most of the important places. Taxis are not expensive, costing about 5 CUC from Old to Central Havana.

29. Vintage taxis have a set route

All those pretty vintage taxis you see in pictures, those are exclusive for tourists to ride (not drive) and they only go through a select route in Havana. You could, though, have the luck of riding a vintage car as your shared taxi from once city to the other.

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30. Havana is walkable

Havana is big, but if you have a few days there, you can save money on transportation by walking it and seeing things at a slower pace. I do recommend walking; that’s when you see the best scenes of the city. Prepare to sweat… I mean, sweat crazily!

Also, Viñales, Trinidad, and other popular cities can be walked easily.

Technology

31. Internet… don’t count on it

Don’t expect internet at your hotel or casa particular, and even if they have it, it will not be available for you to use it. Recently, the local telecommunications company (ETECSA) started adding WiFi hot spots on major cities, which can be used with the purchase of a WiFi card that allows you to use it for an hour.

Hot spots are found in select parks in Havana and in front of the ETECSA building in other cities. The cards can be bought at ETECSA and cost 2.50 CUC for an hour’s use. They often run out of cards quickly due to the demand, so make sure to buy a few when available.

Oh, and don’t expect the WiFi to be reliable or fast.

32. Get a Targeta Propia

A Tarjeta Propia is a phone card you can buy at ETECSA to make local phone calls in Cuba from any public phone – found all around the city in all cities.  This was a saver for me when I needed to coordinate my arrival time with my hosts.

33. Don’t expect roaming phone service

Simple… just don’t count on it. Any (expensive) international call will have to be made from a phone center.

34. Use offline maps or preload your Google Maps

Galileo Offline Maps allows you to use your phone’s GPS to show your location on regular and pre-uploaded maps from other sites (continued in next point). Of course, you’ll download these before going to Cuba. It is a paid app, but it is worth it.

35. Cuba Junky is a good source of information

A brilliant blog about the country and excellent source to find casas particulares. You can upload Cuba Junky’s map with the casas particulares onto your Galileo app to locate them while in Cuba.

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36. Stay current with Havana Good Time

Havana Good Time is an iPhone app based guide of Havana that’s fairly current and contains much more than the regular tourist spots.

Other Stuff To Consider

37. Havana is not dangerous, but scams are common

Other than petty theft, violent crimes are not common there. What many people do, though, is “friend you” and tell you about an awesome party happening at a restaurant or café, or some other event somewhere else. They will take you there, sit down, chat and drink/eat, and make you pay for everything. Additionally, they will ask for money for the “recommendations” given during your “lovely chat.” They also get a commission from the restaurant. Don’t be afraid to say no to them.

Having said that, Cubans are generally friendly, so don’t be afraid to chat openly with them, but be cautious about their intentions.

38. You can buy or trade

Due to the trade restrictions, Cubans don’t have access to many items we do. When purchasing souvenirs, it is possible the seller might offer to trade something (a t-shirt, pants, school materials, old used phones, a bar of soap, snacks, or whatever you have available) for the souvenirs. Economically, they might get more out of selling your traded items, and you virtually paid nothing for your souvenirs.

This is not always the case, but it happens often. Don’t forget to haggle if needed!

39. You can now bring Cuban products back to the U.S.

Americans can now import up to $400 worth of goods from Cuba, including up to $100 in tobacco and alcohol products. So, now there’s no need to smuggle those Cuban cigars, as long as they are under the limit.

40. Learn Spanish

It will make your life easier there. At least learn a few basic words to communicate. Locals are also way friendlier with tourists who at least make an effort to communicate something in Spanish.

The country might be a hassle to travel, and there might be a lot of limiting bureaucracy you might not understand, but this is part of the Cuban experience. You must go through it to live the richness of its culture, and up to a certain extent, the hassles of their daily life.

Hopefully, these tips will help ease the pain of the hassles!

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40 Things You Must Know Before Traveling To Cuba (Especially If You’re American) is a post from: GloboTreks.

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